Our Super-Chocolatey Chocolate Frosting

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The answer is: Yes, there are only 2 tablespoons of
confectioners' sugar in the Chocolate Layer Cake frosting from our January issue. A number of readers have called and emailed us about this recipe. They
ask, "Was there a typo? Shouldn't it have been 2 cups of confectioners' sugar?
Or even 2 pounds?" Needless to say, we're impressed by the expertise of Good
Housekeeping bakers. Classic American-style buttercreams do often call for large amounts of confectioners'
sugar, but I was going for a different type of ultra-rich, extra-chocolatey
frosting.

To celebrate our 125th anniversary, we added modern touches to classic
desserts in our January issue. I decided
to highlight the death-by-chocolate-cake trend by creating a silky frosting
that combines melted semisweet chocolate and cocoa powder. The butter still
acts as a creamy binder, but it's not the star here.

Neither is the confectioners' sugar, which, in large
amounts, makes frosting sugary and thick. I added just enough (2 tablespoons!)
to achieve a spreadable consistency and a touch of sweetness. The result is a
velvety frosting that swirls beautifully all over the cake and showcases the
deep richness of good chocolate. Be sure to use bars here, not chips. (The latter
is great in cookies, but is too sweet in this application.) My favorite brand
is Valrhona, but Callebaut, Ghriardelli, and Lindt also work wonderfully.

For the same chocolatey flavor, but a thicker consistency,
simply refrigerate the finished frosting for a little while. No matter how you
spread it, it's rich, chocolatey goodness. What better way to celebrate 125
years of GH?